German Party, Group Seal City Gov't

Published 2:10 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats signed a coalition agreement Wednesday with the successor party to the East German communists to govern Berlin for the next five years.

The new city administration, expected to be approved by lawmakers Thursday, faces an uphill struggle to turn around a weak local economy and cut the city's debt.

Given the capital's problems, several candidates turned down posts in the new administration before party leaders completed the lineup Tuesday.

While planned spending cuts cuts have already triggered protests at the main western Berlin hospital, the ex-communist Party of Democratic Socialism's involvement has also attracted skepticism _ even within the ranks of city Social Democrats.

Twelve officials in the Berlin branch of Schroeder's party announced they were quitting Wednesday, saying in a statement that "we are not prepared to share responsibility and blame for the post-communists taking a share in political power in Berlin."

The coalition accord, concluded Jan. 7, included a declaration in which the ex-communists distanced themselves from the mistakes of the former East German regime.

Social Democratic Mayor Klaus Wowereit turned to the PDS, which finished third in October state elections, after talks on a three-way alliance with Greens and liberals _ favored by Schroeder _ foundered.

Facing national elections in September, Schroeder had opposed lining up in Berlin with a party whose predecessors built the Berlin Wall and which refuses to support his "unrestricted solidarity" with the United States in the war on terrorism.

Although the two parties already govern one eastern state together, Schroeder rules out a national government with the ex-communists because their economic and foreign policy stances are still too left-wing.